Sioux City wants to track pawn shop sales better

Jul 17, 2013

SIOUX CITY (AP) — Sioux City police are considering a requirement that all pawn shop transactions be entered into an electronic database, making it quicker and easier for officials to track down stolen items.

Police say the system would let business owners enter transaction information directly into a computer database that would include photographs of the merchandise and seller. The merchandise would appear on a national database within 24 hours of a sale.

The Sioux City Journal reports that's an improvement from the current system, which involves filling out a pink card that's added into a computer. That can take up to two weeks.

A Texas-based company would provide the services, which would be free to business owners. The department says it's gathering information to present to the city council in the fall.